Privately-owned housing starts in November 2024 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,289,000. This is 1.8 percent (+/- 10.6%)* below the revised October 2024 estimate of 1,312,000.

U.S. total business end-of-month inventories for October 2024 were $2,587.0 billion, up 0.1 percent (+/- 0.1 percent)* from last month. U.S. total business sales were $1,883.0 billion, virtually unchanged (+/- 0.2 percent)* from last month.

U.S. retail and food services sales for November 2024 were $724.6 billion, an increase of 0.7 percent (+/-0.5 percent) from the previous month.

U.S. selected services total revenue for the third quarter of 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation but not for price changes, was $5,735.4 billion, an increase of 2.2 percent (+/- 0.4 percent) from the second quarter of 2024 and up 8.4 percent (+/- 0.8 percent) from the third quarter of 2023.

Total U.S. Business Applications were 448,758 in November 2024, up 5.5% from October 2024.

Manufacturing corporations' not seasonally adjusted after-tax profits were $192.7 billion for the third quarter of 2024, down $23.7 (+/- 0.8) billion from the second quarter of 2024.

Not seasonally adjusted after-tax profits for retail corporations with assets of $50 million and over were $42.8 billion for the third quarter 2024 (the 3 months ending October 31, 2024), down $6.9 (+/- 0.2) billion from second quarter 2024 (the 3 months ending July 31, 2024).

October 2024 sales of merchant wholesalers were $675.1 billion, down 0.1 percent (+/- 0.5 percent)* from last month. End-of-month inventories were $905.0 billion, up 0.2 percent (+/- 0.4 percent)* from last month.

The nation's international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $73.8 billion in October from $83.8 billion in September (revised), as imports decreased more than exports.

New orders for manufactured goods in October, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $1.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $586.7 billion.

Total construction activity for October 2024 ($2,174.0 billion) was 0.4 percent (+/-1.2 percent)* above the revised September 2024 ($2,164.7 billion).

New orders for manufactured durable goods in October, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent to $286.6 billion.

October 2024 end-of-month inventories were $824.7 billion, up 0.1 percent (+/- 0.2%)* from last month.

The advance international trade deficit in goods decreased to $99.1 billion in October from $108.7 billion in September as imports decreased more than exports.

October end-of-month inventories were $905.1 billion, up 0.2 percent (+/- 0.4 percent)* from last month.

Sales of new single-family houses in October 2024 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000. This is 17.3 percent (+/- 12.8%) below the revised September 2024 estimate of 738,000.

The homeownership rate of 65.6 percent was not statistically different from the rate in the third quarter 2023 (66.0 percent). The homeownership rates, compared to the third quarter 2023, were lower in the West and not statistically different in the Northeast, Midwest, and South.

The rental vacancy rate of 6.9 percent was not statistically different from the rate in the third quarter 2023 (6.6 percent). Compared to third quarter 2023, the rental vacancy rate was higher in the Northeast and not statistically different in the Midwest, South, and West.